Silver Cubs and Roaring Snakes
by The Bickering Kingdom
Summary: Every Halloween Severus stands outside Privet Drive and checks up on Harry, but his latest visit leaves him with a decision to make that affects not just him but Harry and Dudley too. Smart Harry, Wizard Dudley, Caring Snape.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Severus Snape stood outside Privet Drive like he did every Halloween to check up on Harry but this year something was different. The once neat and perfect front garden was littered with abandon rubbish; the grass overgrown and windows boarded up.

At first, he thought the family had moved, but Dumbledore would've known and told him about it before he came here it wasn't like the crazy old fool didn't know where he went instead of overseeing the Halloween feast.

A part of him wondered whether he should go back to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore what the house looked like from the outside, but curiosity got the better of him and almost as if he wasn't in control of his own actions he knocked on the front door.

He expected Petunina or her husband to open the door, but it was her son who since the year before had lost weight.

"If you're another debt collector my mum isn't here," the boy says and Severus notices dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.

I am an old friend of your mum would it be okay if I wait inside until she comes back?" Severus asks lying through his teeth; he had never been Petunina's friend ever only Lily's.

"Whatever," the boy tells him shrugging and opening the door to let him in before walking away to the living room.

He blinked several times the place was a tip and the one thing Petunina had always loved was everything being tidy. He didn't know what had happened in the past year, but whatever had must have been bad for her to let the house get that way it was and to leave two nine year olds at home at night.

When he wandered into the living, it was almost bare, the only furniture was cushions on the floor, and both boys were passing around a box cereal to eat.

"Do either of you know when Petunina will be home?" Severus asks and he feels slightly awkward about bareness of the room and the mess in the hall he dreaded to see the other rooms.

He hears Harry let out a small snort of disgust," Anytime between tomorrow morning and when the money runs, and she can't get anyone else to pay for her drink."

Severus shows no reaction to his statement, but inside, he's asking himself what happened.

He takes a second to think of her husband's name then memories of Petunina shouting the name over the years, and it comes to him, "What time do you think Vernon will be home then?"

Both boys look at each other before shrugging, not looking him in the eye.

"Look, I can't leave you both here alone on maybe the off chance that Petunina may roll up so if you don't tell me what's going on I might have to start asking your neighbors," Severus says using his professor tone of voice.

"Dudley have we got any milk left?,"

"No used the last of it yesterday,"

Severus couldn't believe it, they were having a discussion over milk like he hadn't said anything to them before.

"I have all night to stay here, and I don't care how late it gets I will start knocking on people's doors," Severus threatens, receiving a glare from both boys.

"If I tell you will leave the house?" Harry asks and Severus nods his head. "Uncle Vernon left around Christmas a few weeks later we got a knock on the door from the police it seems he'd been stealing quite a lot money from his employers that's why he left because he knew he was going to be rumbled. Aunt Petunina hasn't been sober since, we are debt with no way to pay it, and we are probably going to lose the house."

Harry's face is bright red, and he doesn't know whether because the boy is embarrassed or because he was angry.

Severus paces for a couple of minutes with both Dudley and Harry watching him with curiosity. He for a couple of years had stood by while the child was locked in a cupboard, listened to Petunina telling him that his parents died in a car crash never once hearing her mention magic, and he did that because at least the boy had a family but now the whole thing had fallen apart.

"I want both of you to pack whatever is important to you then go to bed while I wait for Petunina to come home, and if she isn't back by morning well a note will simply have to do," Severus says expecting both to start immediately.

"I thought you were leaving? And what makes you think we are going to go to bed while a strange man in is in our house?" Harry asks with arms folded against his chest.

"So it's okay to let a stranger in because you're wide awake?" Severus questions with a raised eyebrow.

He really wanted to use magic right at the moment what spell he wasn't sure ,but just to show them how powerful he was, and if he wanted to hurt, them he could have done already.

However, he was certain that it would more than likely freak them out rather then put them at ease.

"I didn't let you in Dudley did I just wasn't rude enough to ask you to leave right away," Harry cheekily replies.

"Look both of you do as you're told now!" Severus orders firmly in Professor mode.

Dudley complies quicker than Harry, but he does what he was told nonetheless, and Severus is left alone to figure out exactly what he was going to do when morning came.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Please leave review it would make me extremely happy even just to say you read it.**

 **Thank you**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Harry Potter.

* * *

Petunia came home sometime after four am, noisily fumbling with her key in the lock before finally getting the door open. The moment she was inside, she slammed the front door with such force that the man who'd fallen asleep in front of television across the road heard it and woke with a start.

Severus had been cleaning the kitchen using a strong bleach that brought back memories of his mother cleaning when he was a child. He was just about to cave in and use magic an if either boy did happen to sneak down the stairs and see, then he'd explain everything when he heard the key in the lock before the slamming of the door.

It almost made him smile because often in teenage tantrums, Petunia had slammed many doors in the Evans house.

When he walked out into the hallway, and she saw him, at first in her drunken state not recognizing him, but Severus saw in her eyes the moment that it clicked who he was he half expected her to start shouting for him to get her out of her house.

The Petunia, he once knew would have but this woman who stood there struggling stay steady on her feet hardly bore any resemblance to the person he once knew.

If hadn't already been determined to get the son and nephew of Lily away from the majority a filthy house, seeing her struggling to stand would make him.

There was silence for several minutes both refusing to speak before the other it was Petunia, who caved first.

"If you have come to take the boy away, then just take him and never bother me again," her words were slurred, her shoulders were slumped, and everything about her screamed I no longer care.

If they had ever been friends, he would have felt pity for the woman who now stood in front of him, but they hadn't ever been and all he felt was disgust.

"When I first came here I had no intentions of taking Harry anywhere but after everything I have seen tonight and what I've heard from the boys I can't leave him here. When he wakes we'll go, your son will be coming with us," Severus explains, each word spoken carefully and controlled.

"You can't take Dudley anywhere he's nothing to do with your lot," Petunia hissed, glaring at Severus. The tiniest glimpse of the person she used to be shining through who she now was.

"Actually, you're wrong, but for the time being, let's focus on the fact that you didn't care when you left him all night did you? Then again, maybe we should focus on the state of your kitchen or the rest of the house. I wouldn't let a rat live in that mess, let alone children,".

"What do you mean I'm wrong," Petunia hiccuped completely ignoring everything else that was said.

"Like Harry, his name has been down for Hogwarts since he was born," Severus told her enjoying the look of shock on her face. "Which means I can take them both due to a wonderful law that allows any witch or wizard to take a magical child or children from the homes of Muggles if there is suspected harm to their physical or mental well being. You have Dumbledore to thank for that law by the way."

"I know you two think that you're talking quietly, but you're really not," Harry calls down from the top of the stairs. "Also Dudley is rather excited about having magic Aunt Petunia so you don't need to worry about it,".

"How do you know about magic?!" both Severus and Petunia ask going to the bottom step of stairs.

Harry's black hair stood up in odd places from sleep, and he didn't have his glasses on which Severus thought made him look less like his father.

He tried his hardest to avoid looking at Harry's scar, but it was difficult. "Aunt Petunia told me and Dudley months ago, she was drunk and didn't remember the next day. I thought she was lying the first time, then after about the fifth drunken confession, I believed her," Harry explained between yawns."Also Aunt Petunia I slept in Dudley's spare room because I didn't think you wanted me to sleep in the cupboard with a stranger in the house,".

Less than twenty seconds later Petunia raced up the stairs to the bathroom and both Severus and Harry heard her vomiting.

"Go back to bed Harry, I'll check up on her in a moment," Severus ordered and gave another yawn in response an shuffled sleepily off to bed.

The boys knowing about magic would make everything easier for what he had planned in the morning.

* * *

 **AN: A massive thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, reviewed and read this story so far.**

 **Also the next chapter will be much longer I promise.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Harry Potter.

AN: Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favorited so far.

* * *

He should have taken them straight to Hogwarts the moment morning came, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with Dumbledore not yet anyway.

Maybe taking them to the seaside in November wasn't the greatest idea even if it was the best magical seaside in Britain. However, the boys seemed to be enjoying themselves even though it was cold.

He was thankful that it wasn't the summer holidays and those with children who weren't old enough to attend Hogwarts were not there in their droves.

Somewhere between the novelty of building castles with sand that kept changing colors wearing off and going to buy them ice cream, he'd been dubbed Uncle Sev. Why they wanted ice cream was a complete mystery to him when there were much warmer food for them to eat.

The fact he'd managed to avoid any questions or protests of boredom all morning was something he was extremely grateful about, but around noon the good day they were having become complicated by the arrival of Narcissa Malfoy and his godson.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see them and any other time it would be brilliant to run into them.

"Hello Severus," Narcissa says, peering down at Harry and Dudley, who both decide to stand beside him looking at awkwardly at their feet.

"Are you aware that half the ministry is looking for you?".

"Who are the Ministry and why are they looking for Uncle Sev?" Harry asks looking up from his feet.

"Harry it's rude to ask people who haven't been introduced to you yet questions," Severus tells him, his facial expression blank, but on the inside, he was angry that Dumbledore would get the ministry involved.

Harry rolled his eyes and muttered something Severus didn't quite catch.

"I'm Mrs. Malfoy and this is my son Draco. You are Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley now we've been introduced and to answer your question, people are worried that you were both taken from your home without any explanation and no attempts to contact anyone to let them know where you are," Narcissa explains, and Severus can see amusement in her eyes.

Trust her to find the situation amusing Severus thinks but doesn't say out loud.

"Harry, Dudley, why don't show Draco how big of a sandcastle you can build? While Narcissa and I have a little chat," Severus asks in a tone of voice, which makes all three boys present know it's an order not a request.

The three boys trotted off with Draco saying something about Quidditch.

"You better have a really good explanation for this Severus,"

*******line break***********

Harry found it amusing watching Draco and Dudley trying to out boss each around.

Although he'd prefer to hear what Narcissa and Severus were talking about, but he was used to being kept out of the loop by adults.

First, his aunt and uncle didn't tell him about magic, then his aunt kept the extend of what his uncle Vernon had done from him and Dudley, letting them hear it around the playground instead.

It was amazing once the expensive days out, and the gifts, dried up how Dudley found himself friendless.

Not just Dudley but his aunt Petunia found herself friendless and the only person who would still talk to them was Mrs. Figg more than once giving Harry money for cereal, bread or milk.

Dudley not having friends or his dad buying whatever he wanted had made him a nicer person to live with, but the same couldn't be said for Aunt Petunia.

She changed from being horrible to either laying in bed for days at a time or disappearing for hours or days depending how much money she had then rolled home drunk. But none of that mattered anymore because Severus had promised that they wouldn't be returning to number four privet drive any time soon.

"Harry, will you tell him I know how to build a sandcastle" Dudley growls in frustration.

"Dudley knows how to build a sandcastle, although mine is better than both of yours," Harry says, with a smirk while watching the clump of sand he had in his hand turn from green to purple.

"Potter, yours looks nothing like a castle," Draco tells him looking at the sand that looked as if had been clumped together with very little thought going into it.

"If these were real castles yours would be attacked because it looks good, but mine would be left alone because it looks rubbish," Harry explains.

"That is so stupid if it was me, I'd attack both," Dudley tells him, glaring at Draco, who, for some reason thought he could boss him around.

Why he had to build his sand castle with Draco while Harry got to do build his on his own he didn't know.

Dudley's comment led to the boys bickering about whether someone would attack a shabby looking castle or not while they bickered Severus and Narcissa were having an argument of their own.

***********line break**************

"As sad as I find that little tale Severus I need to know have you lost your mind?," Narcissa hisses, her folded across her chest.

Severus let out a sigh this was the reaction he knew he'd get, but it didn't mean it annoyed him any less.

"No Narcissa I have not lost my mind. I am doing the right thing for Harry and Dudley something that people should be grateful for,"

"You want to raise the boy-who-lived and his Muggleborn cousin," Narcissa huffed, looking at him like he'd lost his mind. "Our friends will never accept this, they barely accept your continued presence at Hogwarts and if you didn't favor their children you'd already be dubbed a traitor."

"Our friends as you put them Narcissa will accept it, especially when you and Lucius support me," Severus says, like this was an undisputed fact of what was going to happen.

"What makes you think we'll support it?," Narcissa asks, trying her hardest to resist the urge throttle one of her oldest friends.

"Because you'll tell Lucius I plan to turn the boys into a weapon against Dumbledore, which will make him more than happy and I in return will keep my mouth shut about certain business deals of yours that Lucius knows nothing about, and the Ministry would love to hear about."

"I can't believe you're trying to blackmail me with a business you have helped fund more than once," Narcissa said, glaring at him.

"I'm a Slytherin blackmail is the first thing we are taught now the boys have only had ice cream to eat so I'm sure they would care for a spot off lunch you and Draco are welcome to join us," Severus tells her and smirks when she tells him, he's paying.

* * *

 **Please leave a review.**


End file.
